Automatic tire-inflater.



No. 636,249. Patented Nov. 7, I899.

A. FISHER.

AUTOMATIC TIRE INFLATEB.

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No. 636,249. Patented Nov. 7, I899.

A. FISHER.

AUTOMATIC TIRE INFLATEB.

(Application filed Apt. 17, 1899.)

(No Model.)

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Patented Nov. 7, I899.

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. (Application filed Apr. 17 1899.) (No Model.)

gluim uunms PETER! cm. mom-Limo" WASHINGTON, 0 cv PATEN ALBERT FISHER,OF BAY CITY, MICHIGAN.

AUTOMATIC TIRE-INFLATER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 636,249, dated November7, 1899.

Application filed April 17, 1899.

To all whom it rncty concern:

Be it known that I, ALBERT FISHER, a citizen of the United States,residing at Bay City, in the county of Bay and State of Michigan, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in AutomaticTire-Inflaters; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full,clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enableothers skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use thesame.

My invention relates to automatic tire-infiaters, and pertains moreparticularly to means for automatically in flating bicycle-tires whilethe bicycle is in motion.

The improvements consist in certain means and devices whereby Iaccomplish the objects of my invention, which are, first, to provide anautomatic tire-inflater that is adapted to be attached to the hub of avehicle-wheel and to revolve therewith and having communication withtheinterior of the tire; second, to provide means whereby the infiater isoperated while the wheel rotates in a forward direction, but isinoperative when the wheel is moved backward; third, to provide anautomatic tire-inflater that will operate when the pressure of airwithin the tire falls below the desired amount and will be inoperativewhen the desired pressure isattained; fourth, to provide means wherebythe infiater may be set to produce any desired pressure in the tire;fifth, to provide means whereby the inflater may be set to commenceoperating when the pressure within the tire drops a stated amount belowthe maximum pressure carried; sixth, to provide a safety-valve that willprevent overinflation of the tire; seventh, to provide as an article ofmanufacture a tire-inflater that will be simple in construction,automatic in operation, and conveniently arranged for application toexisting forms of wheels. I accomplish these objects by the meansillustrated in the accompanying drawings, throughout the several viewsof which similar characters of reference designate similar parts anddevices.

In the drawings, Figure l is a side view of the front wheelof a bicycle,showing the infiater attached. Fig. 2 is a top view of the infiater onan enlarged scale. Fig. 3 is a rear elevation'of the inflater brokenaway in parts.

Fig. 4 is a side view of the inflater. Fig. 5 is Serial No. 713,364. (Nomodel.)

a sectional detail of the safety-valve. Fig. 6 is an enlarged detail ofthe releasing mechanism. Fig. 7 is a detail showing the inflater andwiper attached to the front fork of a bicycle. Fig. 8 is a side view ofthe Wiper and the clamp for attaching it to the fork of a bicycle. Fig.9 is a top View of the parts shown in Fig. 8. Fig. 10 is an end view ofthe clamp for securing the inflat-er to the hub of a bicycle. Fig. 11 isa top viewof the parts shown in Fig. 10. Fig. 12 is a sectional detailof the outer end of the inflater-tube, showing its attachment to thevalve of a bicycle-tire.

As is clearly shown in the drawings, the inflat er consists,essentially,of an air-pump 1, attached to the hub of the wheel and rotatabletherewith and communicating with the tire through a tube 2. Apressure-cylinder 3 communicates with the tube 2 and contains aspring-pressed plunger 3, which operates the releasing mechanism 4 forthrowing the air-pump into or out of operation as the pressure in thetire diminishes or increases. The air-pump is operated by a bent lever5, the end of which as the wheel revolves engages a wiper 6, attached tothe frame of the bicycle, and is thereby depressed, thus depressing theplunger-arm '7 of the air-pump 1, said arm being fixed to the shaft 8and moving with it and being connected by a crank-link 7 to the head ofthe piston-rod 1. To render the pump inoperative when the desiredpressure is attained, the lever 5 is held depressed, so as to pass underthe wiper 6 without touching it. The means by which this is accomplishedwill be more fully described hereinafter.

When the lever 5 is in its operative position, rotation of thebicycle-wheel causes a depression of the air-pu mp plunger with eachturn of the wheel, thus forcing air into the tire through the tube 2while the bicycle is being propelled. A spring 7 attached at one end tothe air-pump body, prevents undue vibration of the plunger-arm '7.

The means employed for throwing the airpump out of operation when thetire is sufficiently inflated is as follows: The pressurecylinder 3,which is in communication with the tube 2, contains the plunger 3, whichis normally pressed downward bya coiled spring 3", the pressure of whichcan be regulated by turning the screw-cap 3' of the cylinder 3.

Beneath the plunger is a rubber sac or cell 3, communicating with theinterior of the tube 2 by a pipe 2 or otherwise. The lower end of thecell 3 is distended bya spring 3 contained therein. When the pressure ofair within the tire is sufficient to overcome the pressure to which thespring 3" is adjusted, the plunger-rod 3 is raised and operates thereleasing mecl1anism,thus throwing the pump out of operation.

By the use of the expansible rubber cell 3 within the cylinder 3 leakageof air past the plunger 3 is prevented. The distendingspring 3 preventscollapse of the cell when the tire is deflated. Increase or decrease ofpressure within the tire produces a proportionate rise or fall of theplunger-rod 3. To the upper end of the plunger-rod is attached ahorizontal arm at, that has vertical movement in a slotted guide 4,attached to the cylinder 1. Attached to the arm at are two upwardly andoutwardly extending arms at and at. The upper end of arm 4 when near thetop of its travel engages the horizontal member of a pivoted bell -cranklever 4", mounted on the guide -1 A spring N, attached to the pivot ofthe bell-crank lever, holds the horizontal member of the latter pressednormally downward. The vertical member of the bell-crank lever has aprojection 4 adapted to engage the notch 4: of a vertical spring-pressedbolt 4 contained in a vertical cylindrical guide 10, and is arranged tobe disengaged therefrom when the horizontal member of the bell-cranklever is pushed upward by the arm at.

The upper end of the bolt 4 is flattened to engage a notch 9 in theperiphery of a collar 9, which is attached to the shaft 8 by a set-.screw 9 or otherwise.

An upwardly-projecting hook ll is fixed to the bolt 4. and moves in alongitudinal slot of the cylinder 10. The hook 11 is arranged to engagethe end of the arm 4, which thus restricts the upward movement of thebolt 4:.

The operation of the releasing mechanism is as follows: As the pressurein the tire decreases by reason of a puncture or other cause the spring3 gradually lowers the plunger 3 its rod S and the horizontal arm t, thearm being guided in its movement by the slotted guide at". As the armslowly descends the arm 4 engages the hook 11, draws down the bolt 4 anddisengages its top from the notch 9 of the collar 9. Meanwhile the arm4, which is attached to the horizontal arm 4 and moves with it, hasdescended and allowed the horizontal member of the bell-crank lever 4 todescend, thus engaging the projection 49 of the vertical member of thelever in the notch 4 of the spring-pressed bolt 4 securely holding thelatter. The lever 5, being released by the disengagement of the bolt 4:from the notch 9, is forced upward by the pressure of the spring 7, Fig.4, and is thus brought into engagement with the wiper 6,

Figs. '7, 8, and 9, thus putting the pump into operation.

The pump operates during the forward movement of the bicycle untilsufficient air has been pumped into the tire to overcome the resistanceof the spring 3 thus slowly raising the plunger-rod 3 and the horizontalarm it. By this means the arm 4, Fig. 6, is raised clear of the hook 11,while the projection 4 of the bell-crank lever remains engaged in thenotch 4: of the spring-pressed bolt t and prevents the latter fromrising. A further upward movement of the arm 4 brings the arm 4: intocontact with the horizontal member of the bell-crank lever 4, forcing itupward, and thus suddenly releasing the bolt 4 and permitting it toengage the notch 9 of the collar 9 during the next stroke of the pump.It is thus seen that decreasing the pressure of air within the tire setsthe pump in operation and that the pump ceases operating when thepressure to which the spring 3 is adjusted is reached.

By raising or lowering the arm 4: relatively to the arm 4 by means ofthe set-nuts l2 and 12 upon its threaded vertical shank the depth towhich the end of the bolt 4 may engage the notch 9 can be regulated.Raising the arm et in the manner stated increases the distance the bolt4 must travel after it is suddenly released from the projection atbefore the hook 11 engages the arm 4. Consequently when the air-pressure within the tire decreases the bolt must travel a longer distance downward before it is released from the notch 9. This means of increasing ordecreasing the depth of engagement of the bolt 4 with the notch 9 formsan essential feature of my invention, as by it I am enabled to allow thepressure within the tire to drop any stated amount-say five poundsbeforethe spring 3 has expanded sufficiently to release the bolt 4: from thenotch fl and throws the pump into action.

It is evident that by properly adjusting the spring 3 and the height ofthe arm 4 a tire may be inflated to any desired pressuresay fiftyfivepoundsat which point the pump will cease to operate. After a puncture orother cause of leakage the pressure will drop, and upon reaching apressure of, say, fifty pounds the pump will start automatically andcontinue to operate until the tire is inflated to its original pressureof fifty-five pounds, when the pump will again cease to operate.

A safety-valve, Fig. 5, consisting of a cylinder l3, screw-cap 13, andspring-pressed valve 13", is preferably provided on the cylinder 1 toprevent overinflation of the tire.

The wiper, Figs. 8 and 9, consists of two clamps 14 and 14:, adapted tofit the frame of the bicycle, one of said clamps carrying a rubber-facedwiper 6, hinged to the clamp at its lower end and having a fiat portion6 extending at right angles to the face 6 to prevent overturning whenthe face of the wiper is struck by the pump-operating lever 5 during theforward motion of the wheel and to admit of folding down against theclamp 14 when the wheel is moved backward, thus preventing damage to thepump by forcing the lever 5 upward. A wire spring 6 holds the wipernormally perpendicular to the clamp. A clamp suitable for securing theinflator to the bicycle-hub is shown in Figs. 10 and 11. The lower endof the tube 2 is preferably adapted to screw into the tirevalve and hasa diametral pin or U-shaped wire 15 inserted in its end to hold the stem16 of the tire-valve 17 depressed, as shown in Fig. 12, thus holding thevalve open and permitting free communication between the interior of thetire and the air-cell 3 within the pressure-chamber 3. v

A suitable box of sheet metal (shown in Fig. 7) is used to incase theworking parts of the inflaterand to prevent injury to them by dust or anaccidental blow. This box 18 is preferably secured to the inflater, asshown in Figs. 10 and 11, by screws or other suitable means. Atire-valve 19 of any approved form is interposed in the tube 2 betweenthe air-pump cylinder 1 and the outlet from pipe 2 to thecompression-cylinder 3 to permit the air-pump to operate and at the sametime to allow free communication between the cell 3 and the tire.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent,is-- 1. In an automatic tire-inflater for vehiclewheels the combinationof an air-pump fixed to the hub of the wheel and rotatable therewith; aradially-extending tube connecting the air-pump and the tire; of apressure-cylinder containing a plunger which is pressed downward by anadjustable pressure-regulating spring, and an expansible air-cell belowthe plunger and communicating with the tire; of a pivoted leversupported by the air-pump cylinder and adapted to operate the air-pumppiston; a second lever for imparting motion to the first lever; a wiperattached to the frame of the vehicle and arranged to engage the secondlever; and means, substantially as described, for retaining the secondlever in inoperative position when the pressure of air in thepressure-cylinder overcomes the resistance of the pressure-regulatingspring; all arranged for the purpose described and substantially as setforth.

2. In an automatic inflater for vehicle-tires the combination with anair-pump attached to the hub of the vehicle-wheel and communicating withthe tire, said pump being adapt: ed to be operated by a pivoted lever;of a wiper attached to the vehicle frame and adapted to engage thepump-lever; a pressure-chamber communicating with the tire, said chamberhaving a spring-pressed piston; a collar mounted on the pivot of theair-pump lever and having one or more notches in its periphery; amovable spring pressed bolt adapted to engage said notches and tothereby withhold said lever from engagement with the wiper; a projectinghook fixed to said bolt; a horizontal arm carried by the rod of thespring-pressed piston and adapted to en gage said hook; a bell-cranklever adapted to engage a notch in said spring-pressed bolt; anupwardly-projecting arm carried by the said piston-rod for operating thebell-crank lever, all arranged and operating in the manner described andfor the purpose set forth.

3. The combination with an automatic tireinflater a pressure-regulatingchamber comprising a cylinder, a spring-pressed plunger within thecylinder, and a flexible air-tight sac below said plunger; said sacbeing in communication with the tire.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

ALBERT FISHER.

Witnesses:

GEO. B. WILLOOX, M. H. IRWIN.

